By Nicholas Kobe, Contributor

[Photo courtesy of High Vis via Bandcamp]

London band High Vis released their sophomore album Blending September 30 via Dias Records. This record comes off the heels of their debut album No Sense No Feeling, released in 2019.

High Vis has exploded up from the underground recently, being heralded for their powerful live shows and lyrics that tackle themes of class inequality. This new record Blending seems to be an expansion on the precedents set by the band already. 

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Blending has already received great critical acclaim from publications such as The Guardian, NME, Stereogum, Fader and Pitchfork. More politically charged records and themes litter this record as the band expands their soundscape beyond the bounds of post-punk or hardcore. This record still is as hard hitting as a punk record should be, but influence from artists such as Fugazi, Echo & The Bunnymen, Ride and A Flock Of Seagulls were incorporated into the sound of Blending. 

This album shows the expansion of the band, not just in terms of the music but also on the lyrical end of things. Vocalist Graham Sayle stated in a press release “The message of the album is you’re not who you’re told you are.You’re not your class background. Whatever it is, you’re not that. Don’t resign yourself to thinking you can’t be this and you can’t be that.” It’s an uplifting and hopeful message for a record that still has sharp political commentary about the issues facing the lower class in Britain, making the record an overall well balanced experience. 

You can stream or purchase a physical version of the record here.